Hermione Granger: The Witching Hour
by Temairine
Summary: The battle of Hogwarts was lost and the light was destroyed along with the Order of the Phoenix. So why is Hermione Granger getting a chance to relive her life. Even more pertinent, why is her life now a video game? Unknown Pairing, although it will be a multi-ship
1. The Beginning of the Game

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related properties. They are owned by J.K. Rowling.

My thanks to my wonderful beta 10000 Fists who has done an amazing job as well as letting me borrow inspiration from his story: Fractured Fate

Many thanks also to LillianMarie2 who has allowed me to borrow certain elements from her story: A Sirens Song. Please not that our stories are by no means related in terms of plot and are not affiliated in any way.

**Bold** = the game speaking

Normal = normal

_Italics_ = Hermione's thoughts

The battle was lost. Bodies lay scattered around the Hogwarts grounds. Nowhere in Hogwarts had been spared. All the fond memories that Hermione had made at Hogwarts with Harry and Ron were gone, replaced with nightmares of blood and death. The sound of her friend's laughter echoing in the hallways had also faded, now the high-pitched laughter of Bellatrix Lestrange rang in her ears.

She was wounded, and she knew enough about wounds to know that it was fatal. The severed artery in her leg was simple enough to fix, if only she had her wand and some blood-replenishing potions. But magically exhausted as she was - fighting for your life did tend to do that- she was left with barely enough strength to make it up the 7 flights of stairs to the room of requirement. If there was one thing Hermione knew, it was that her body would not be paraded on display like Harry and Ron's were. She would deny the Dark that one final victory.

As she approached the blank length of wall the sound of her pursuers reached her ears. They were maniacally laughing as they chased the last remaining member of the Golden Trio. One chance, that was all she had and the rest was up to fate. The idea of fate made her laugh; she had always been one not to believe in superstitious nonsense. And yet here she was pleading to a room to give her a place where none could enter but her.

The door appeared and she stumbled in gasping for breath. The trail of blood clearly marked her whereabouts, and besides the death-eaters knew about the room's presence anyway. Back in the room where Neville and the other students had marshalled their resistance, the pain grew sharper. Not just from the gash in her leg that was slowly draining her life, but also for the realisation that she would never see them again. The mood had been grim as they had prepared for the final battle, but deep down they had all hoped that they would triumph. They had been prepared to lay their lives down for the others of the Wizarding World. That was what hurt the most, having staked it all on one final confrontation, to see that it had made no difference in the end, well save for gathering them together for easier slaughter.

And now... it was over. No matter how she tried, she could only look forwards to her reunion with Harry and Ron, with her classmates and friends.

_Death was only frightening because you were scared of having nothing_, she mused to herself. _But when the land of the living has nothing left for you then death can only be seen as appealing_. At any rate when she was dead she would not hurt any more. With that thought Hermione's eyes slowly closed and she faded into the blackness.

The next thing she knew was a blinding light. Blinking slowly she turned around, fists at the ready, expecting that a lumos spell cast by the enemy had found her. What she saw shocked her. An 11 year old Hermione Granger stood slightly to one side in front of her. Next to her apparent doppelganger was a long list that stretched down across the light, trailing into the darkness beneath it.

Hesitantly she started to read the list. By the time she had read the first 3 lines her jaw would have hit the floor, had that not been physically impossible. As it was Hermione's jaw was quickly shut as she stared at what seemed to be a test paper, but instead of a Transfiguration or an Arithmancy exam, it appeared to be grading her life! Curiosity won over horror as she read on. At one point Mr Weasley's voice resounded in her head, telling Ginny never to trust anything if you cannot see where it keeps its brain! But her eyes were simultaneously tracking the lines of words down the screen.

**Lived to 18 years: 180 points**

**Made friends with Harry Potter: 250 points**

**Made friends with Ronald Weasley: 250 points**

**Gained Familiar- Crookshanks: 100 points**

**Brightest Witch of her Age: 500 points**

**Did not break under crucio: 100 points**

**Solved the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets: 300 points**

**Solved Snape's logic problem: 60 points**

**Figured out Flamel: 75 points**

**Survived Troll: 25 points**

**Devils Snare defeated: 40 points**

**Reported Firebolt to McGonagall: 30 points**

**Helped Harry learn summoning charm: 50 points**

**Dated Krum: 125 points**

**Saw through Umbridge: 25 points**

**Co-founder of Dumbledore's Army: 200 points**

**Tricked Umbridge successfully: 175 points**

**Rode a Thestral: 75 points**

**Student of the Year 6 times: 600 points**

**Quick thinking at the Ministry of Magic: 100 points**

**Was right about the Half-Blood Prince: 200 points**

**Slug club member: 75 points**

**Dated McLaggen: 10 points**

**Fought against death-eaters 72 times: 720 points**

**Broke out of Malfoy Manor: 300 Points**

**Explored Diagon Alley: 90 points**

**Broke into Gringotts successfully: 300 points**

**Escaped from Gringotts successfully: 300 points**

**Read 1180 magical books: 1180 points**

**Learnt 323 spells: 3230 points**

**Total +9665 points**

**Lost to Dolohov: -200 points**

**Memory charmed adoptive parents: - 300 points**

**Never discovered true origins: - 500 points**

**Got hurt by Botuber Pus: -20 points**

**Tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange: -150 points**

**Rescued from troll: -100 points**

**Petrified by Basilisk: -125 points**

**Let Ron cause upset at the Yule ball: -50 points**

**Cedric died: -250 points**

**Used time turner over 100 times: -1000 points**

**Captured by Inquisitorial Squad: -100 points**

**Powers never awakened: -750 points**

**Confounded McLaggen: -50 points**

**A novice in Knockturn Alley: -80 points**

**Always socially inept: -600 points**

**Never met/befriended – too many to list: -2000 points**

**Lost battle of Hogwarts: - 2500**

**Total -8775 points**

**Overall Total 890 points**

**To conclude while Hermione Granger led an exemplary intellectual life her weaknesses in socialising, and unfortunate luck means that she finishes the game with a total of 890 points. While not as bad as a negative number, it is nevertheless poor. Although the score being in the positive is amazing considering her loss of the battle of Hogwarts and her powers remaining locked!**

**HINT: As a guideline aim to score at least 1000 points per school year in order to unlock hidden bonuses! As you have completed the game for the first time you have gained +1 Hint token**

Hermione stared at the screen, and then stared some more. Surely this was some form of a cruel joke! To say that SHE had lost the battle of Hogwarts was definitely untrue. She had done her best to help; here a tear ran down her face as she muttered that "Maybe my best was just not good enough." The quiet whisper faded into the background as the screen finished its scrolling downwards. "And... just what did it mean that my powers were locked? Tell me this sooner you stupid good for nothing video game thing! If I had the power to help, to make a difference why do you choose to inform me now? Why now, everything that I love is gone forever and I am... alone..."

Thoughts ran wildly through her brain. It was no longer organized and neat, with facts and figures where they should be but instead was chaos. Sick, that was how she felt. Sinking to her knees she began to retch violently. Hands went up to her mouth only to be jerked down, her mouth opened to call for her friends only to be snapped shut.

_How could I even speak their names with the same mouth which had screamed deadly curses? How could I reach out for them with my hands stained with blood? Most of all how could I expect help from people whom I had failed. I was supposed to be the brains of the Golden Trio, I had even helped plan the final confrontation. I had but one task to complete, one role to fill, and I had failed. I had failed myself, failed my friends and failed all of the innocents who no-one else would protect under Voldemort's reign._

There she was, body on the floor jerking with the strength of the sobs that were convulsing through her body. _Time must have passed, surely, _she thought as she sat up. Standing facing the screen on trembling legs her emotions burst out.

"Yes I failed, yes I lost but it is over, done, dusted! I am dead and so is everyone I have ever loved. All the principles I stood for are going to be destroyed and the Earth will become a living hell for all who are not pureblood!" She spat bitterly.

_That was if they were even allowed to live. Nothing was a right under Voldemort's rule after all. _

Despite the pain in her throat she kept on. Barely intelligible her voice was hoarse and rough from her frantic sobbing.

_She did not even sound like Hermione Granger anymore. Well, then again Hermione Granger did not exist anymore either so that was fine. _

Crying out loud in frustration she forced the words out, each and every one was an agony.

"Why tell me, why show me, why torment me like this? I lost, I was defeated and you have won. Whatever you are you have won! If I could change the past I would. Believe me I would. I f there was a time turner that could erase the years I would take it. At any price I would take it! Do you not get it? I would give everything I ever had for the chance to start anew…

**CONTINUE SELECTED**

**INITIATING START SCREEN**

The pure shock of the message was enough to silence Hermione.

_What was happening? By Merlin what was going on? Initiating? Was this some sort of spaceship going into countdown? Maybe it was a bomb of some sort. That would be good. No pain and no memory, just sweet, sweet oblivion. _

The screen chose that point to flash up another message. At first the words seemed blurry through the tears, but gradually focus returned, although it took some more time after that for her to calm down enough to look at it properly. The screen now showed an image which looked much the same as a start up scene for a... video game? Hermione's eyes skimmed across the words, hardly able to believe what she saw: and after having been scored on her short and unfortunate life, it would take a lot to inspire that level of shock.

The words said in clear black text

**Should Hermione Granger wish to continue then please select an option to begin?**

What was this meant to be? She wondered out loud. Her thoughts continued to process this new information at superhuman speed, probably due to her heightened state of emotion.

_I am somewhere. I was thinking. I have command of my body. All these facts pointed to me being alive. But I was dead. I was in an unknown location that was not my place of death. Logically then I could not be a ghost, as ghosts could move and were not limited to one area. But I was dead and yet all the signs pointed to me being alive_.

Having already ruled out being a ghost she could only conclude that she was in some state of limbo, between life and death? The thought sickened her, breaking the control that she was desperately trying to retain.

Just like that time in third year when she had punched Malfoy, her rage had soared to the same level.

_Why was I separated from Harry and Ron? I should be embarking on the next great adventure with them not stuck in some in-between! Was I lacking in some way that meant that I was found unworthy? Oh Merlin, Harry, Ron will I ever reach you again!_

In her temporary delirium she lashed out at the only other object in the strange dimension. Her fist smacked into the screen with all the force that she could muster. A bell sounded and a voice announced…

**LOADING COMPLETE**

Now her attention was drawn to the screen. Below the words from earlier were 3 buttons. Looking at them she could see that they read

**NEW GAME**

**NEW GAME +  
LOAD GAME**

_Okay_, Hermione thought. _From what I know about video games new game is a complete restart of the story, new game + is when you start over with bonuses from the previous game and load game is when you die… and want to retry something!_

Her fingers fumbled as she reached out to the button with the label LOAD GAME. A dull buzzer sounded.

**Sorry you have no saved games to load**

Although this did make sense to Hermione, after all she was certain that she would remember something like this happening, she was also devastated.

_My chance to change things has gone. _She thought a creature of quiet desperation and crushed hope. _My chance to save Harry and Ron and to stop all the killing is gone. Now there is nothing left of my old life I cannot make a new start… unless I start again completely. That's it! There were 3 buttons, if one way does not work; you try again and again until you get it right! Nothing is too high a price to pay to save Harry and Ron!_

So with no hesitation Hermione reached forwards and tapped the NEW GAME+ option. A dialogue box came up and flashed. Looking at the words she let out her first real smile. It was the best news that she had heard in over a year. It read...

**NEW GAME + is for the player who has completed the game and wishes to start anew while retaining memories from their previous game. Are you sure you want to select NEW GAME +**

**YES**

NO

Yes was tapped quickly and without thought of the consequences. All Hermione was thinking at this point was that this time, things would be different; this time there would be no deaths, no war.

_After all I could stop everything from occurring now that I knew what would happen! I could prevent Voldemort being resurrected and stop Professor Dumbledore's death from occurring. But there was the downside as well_, she thought glumly. _I only know the future following this one sequence of events. Should I prevent Voldemort from being resurrected he could come back and conquer some other time, and then I would have no Idea what to do! No, it would be best to follow the timeline as much as possible. I cannot afford to change the future too much. Instead I will have to try and help from the sidelines. If I warned people then they would put me in St Mungos for insanity! But if I seemed to be there on every essential occasion then people would get suspicious. Goodness, Legilimency, I would have to keep an incredibly low profile. Imagine the consequences should Snape find out the future. He was a legilimens and he had killed Professor Dumbledore! No I would have to be extremely careful!_

Then the world blurred around her and she found herself standing in a room with blank white walls. Another screen appeared, with very little text on it. It looked like an online shopping website. Different categories were labelled at the top, and at the bottom there was a number. 890 points, which, she suddenly realised was the number of points she had been left with after the scoring of her life.

Thinking about the failure of her past life made her shudder so Hermione quickly focused on the options in front of her. Denial was definitely unhealthy, but her steadily growing hope was all she had to cling to in this place. Even if it was more of an ideal to save everyone, it was just too painful to think of the other possibilities.

The screen really was like an online store. Looking through there were various benefits that she could buy, if only she had enough points... An automatic animagus form cost 3000 points for a non-magical animal and 4500 for a magical animagus. Passing that section quickly, Hermione quickly focused on the hints. A small flashing number indicated that she could "purchase" 1 hint to help her in the game.

So was that what the Hint tokens were, she mused to herself. Many of the hints were blacked out and were unavailable. A dull buzzer sounded when she tried to select one of them, and the next one. Through trial and error Hermione settled on an available Hint – An Original Clue. What was revealed sharply stopped her excitement.

**Hint: An Original Clue**

**Hermione's parents are from a very well respected pureblood family**

Suddenly it all came rushing back and she could not believe that she had not noticed it before.

_Of course, if I obliviated my adoptive parents then I must have had other birth parents, but how, and why, and when? How come I was never told that I was adopted? Why would my parents lie to me? No, calm down Hermione, remember you are a witch. Magic exists and it is entirely possible that they have been given false memories of me. I hope that that is the case. What is my life going to be like if I cannot have faith in the parents that I have trusted and loved my whole life?_

She was about to go into uncontrollable hysterics. Surely someone was punishing her. It simply could not be true. She was adopted? How and why did her mum and dad never tell her! No, this was some illusion, a psychological torment thought up by the Dark Lord to completely destroy her.

_No, take a deep breath, a deep breath and slowly count to 3 then release. Okay, good, panic attack avoided. Logical thought Hermione, logical thought. After all, I cannot trust anyone with the fact that I have knowledge of the future. It should not make any difference to include my parents. But it hurts so much! Is it really worth it to go through all of this pain for something that might not even work? No, snap out of it NOW. If Harry and Ron were in the same situation would they hesitate if there was even the slightest chance of saving me? They would not. I know that they would risk their lives for me; we all would have for each other. _

"So yes, I shall continue game, I will not let today's tragedy occur again!"

Then the game beeped again. A message popped up.

**You must finish spending all your points before you may proceed to the next step. **

Now, Hermione had always been brought up to be polite, but having lost a war, died, and somehow been entered into a video game... well she was in no position to mind her manners. After loudly uttering some choice expletives from both the Muggle and the Wizarding World she found that the screen had shifted to the stats and skills page. Still shaky from the memories of the battle and the trauma caused by discovering her adoption on the same day that she had lost everything she had valued most she quickly bought 1 stat point (whatever that was) for 500 points and 7 skill points for 50 points each. The remaining points were converted into galleons.

**Hermione Granger starts NEW GAME + with the following bonuses from her points**

**1 Stat point**

**7 skill points**

**40 galleons**

**Hermione Granger starts NEW GAME + with the following benefits carried over**

**Normal teeth**

**YES**

**NO**

The latter part was actually quite insulting, to her anyway! Well at least she would not suffer the all too familiar taunt of 'Beaver' this time. As to the former part, she had no idea what anything was except for the galleons, nevertheless Hermione clicked the finish button. At this moment in time she was torn between an impossible hope and a terrible dread. Hope that maybe this was real, despite what her logic told her. Dread that she was under some spell or hallucinating. The world shifted again and Hermione found herself on her back, looking up at the word S.P.E.C.I.A.L

**Hello and welcome to your S.P.E.C.I.A.L stat selection screen.**

The voice this time sounded chirpy, a major difference from the bored voice from earlier.

**This is where you will decide your main stats, in other words, what makes you S.P.E.C.I.A.L! You may alter your starting stats to suit your ideal style of game play. You have unlocked 1 preset character stats. Please continue with your selected option.**

That choice was easy for Hermione to make. With only one option to choose from she had no choice but to select it! She tapped the relevant button.

**You have selected Hermione Granger: The Original. Is this your final choice?**

**YES  
**

**NO**

Yes was chosen, even with her limited experience with video games Hermione knew logically that if there was only one path to go down, then you would have to take that path in order to move on. This time rather than her surroundings changing the screen simply changed to show an S and a number. It was actually quite annoying as, if it did not have to blur everything to change the scene, then why on earth would they do it in the first place? But still, the curiosity was overpowering her annoyance and the screen was the centre of attention once again.

**S is for Strength**

**Strength is a measure of your physical power and health. It will affect your health points as well as your base attack value in non magical combat. It influences the skills of Physical Combat, Healing and Athletics**

**Your current Strength value is: 3**

Okay, so maybe Hermione had not been in the best of shape in the past, well in her past life to accurate. But even so surely carrying all those books up stairs counted for something, despite the year on the run! Then the reason hit her and she sincerely hoped that the game was not affecting her mind!

_Of course – if I was restarting then my "stats" would be at my 11 year old level. Frankly that is rather disappointing but still, I can work with that. Voldemort does not make a return until the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. That is 4 years I have got to improve, it is not like I have to meet him on the first day. Wait… Merlin's pants I do! Professor Quirrel was possessed by Voldemort! No calm down, another deep breath Hermione. He is in a weakened form; he should not be able to use Legilimency on me. He will also have no reason to want to use Legilimency on me should I act like an ordinary student. Although I hope I will not have to get normal grades… But still, how can I go to a class taught by a teacher that I know is under the control of a man who not only wants me dead because of my ancestry, but also will kill all of my friends!_

Hermione's attention was then drawn to a number in the topmost corner of the screen which had started flashing. Repeating focus to herself repeatedly she was able to repress the painful memories for the time being and pay attention to the screen once more.

**You have 11 (+1) stat points for a total of 12**

Clicking the + button next to the three she watched as her strength went up to 4. After some experimenting she found that she could add and subtract points from her strength score. However she could not go higher than 10 or lower than 1. As she voiced this question out loud another screen was created in front of the current one.

**TUTORIAL: S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats have maximums and minimums. Everyone has some degree of each value, otherwise they would not be alive and have magic – essentially they would not be a witch or wizard. Hence the minimum value for a stat is 1.**

**The maximum for a stat is your age divided by 2 and +5 up to a maximum of 14 and rounded downwards in the case of partial points. For example, at the age of 11 your maximum is 10, due to the fact that your actual maximum score of 10.5 is rounded downwards.**

_Alright, so I am currently not able to have a higher score than 10_, she thought, _and the minimum is 1. That explains it somewhat. I guess that I am getting, if not comfortable with, then definitely more familiar with this system. At any rate I have now discovered that I can alter a lot of things about myself, 7 different things if there is one stat for each letter of S.P.E.C.I.A.L like I suspect._

Although thinking about it she really did not want to change her personality, "I should watch out for that," she murmured to herself. No way was she going to become an insipid moron like Lavender Brown or a gossip like some of the other Gryffindor girls. Pushing the minus button to return her strength to 3 she clicked on the next button, she would see what other options were available to her before deciding.

**P is for Perception**

**Perception is essentially your attention to detail. It will affect your observation skills, meaning that you can notice enemies sooner and discover secrets that you otherwise would not find. It will also open up a lot of dialogue options, many of which will lead to quests. As a bonus, should you ever meet a sphinx, then with high perception you will be able to answer the riddle with ease. Perception is relevant to the skills of Mind Arts, Magical Theory, Alteration and Evocation.**

**Your current Perception value is: 5**

Well 5 was not so bad she mused, although so far, even though she had only seen two stats, she was subpar in both of them, which was not a comforting thought! Musing on the potential usefulness of Perception she thought that…

_If perception could help me uncover secrets, then maybe I could solve the mystery of my birth parents... If they were pureblood then they would most likely have attended Hogwarts, so there must have been some record of their attendance. Then maybe I would know if I could trust my Mum and Dad, my adoptive ones. It is just, this feels so lonely. First everyone is taken from me in that slaughter, and then if I choose to save them I cannot trust them. Harry, Ron and I always shared everything. How can I be friends with them again when I am unable to trust them with this? It cannot be shared, both of them have no talent for Occulmency and would be liable to act based on their knowledge._

_But… how… how can I act the innocent child skipping through the corridors with her friends? How can I taint Harry and Ron with lies? No, I must not think of that, I am doing this for them, and as much as I hate to say it, for the greater good…._

Jolting back to reality and forcing the thoughts of Grindewald to the depths of her mind Hermione told herself not to get too far ahead. With no knowledge of what would happen next, she would deal with this one step at a time. Just because she was acting for the good of many did not mean that she would ignore individual's feelings. No matter what, she would not be another Grindewald, no matter how well intentioned she started out. She tapped the plus button and brought her perception up to 6, reasoning that at least this way she would gain improvement in a number of skills, even though she had no idea of what they were at this point. With a click she was shown the next section.

**E is for Endurance**

**Endurance is how much magic you have at your disposal, a higher Endurance score will mean that you can cast more spells and it will also grant you some resistance to magic-based damage. This does not apply to the unforgivables though. Endurance helps define the skills of Enchant and Alteration.**

**Your current Endurance value is: 5**

Much like she had for strength, Hermione chose to leave this stat alone until she knew more, the number seemed quite reasonable anyway. Having already checked that she could return to the previous stat pages she flicked her finger to bring up the following stat.

**C is for Charisma**

**Charisma will define all of your social relationships in one way or another. Without the ability to speak eloquently you will have a hard time, not only at establishing relationships, but also at being believed? Charisma will also be the main factor in the skills of Barter and Persuasion.**

**Your current Charisma value is: 1**

Hermione had to take a few minutes to stop stuttering in anger and confusion. How could she have a stat of 1, the lowest of the low? This was her Boggart in third year come to life. How could she get the lowest grade possible for anything? It was not fair. It was a travesty of justice. After all she had plenty of friends who liked her for who she was. There was Harry and Ron and Crookshanks... Okay, maybe she did not have many close friends, but it was the quality of friendship that counted not the quantity, right? Then the memories came flooding back.

_Ron saying that it was no wonder she had no friends._

_A memory of Harry and Ron when they had turned against her because she had reported the Firebolt to the Professors_

_Ron when he asked her to the ball, thinking that no-one else would have done so_

_Ron ruining her enjoyment on the night of the ball itself_

_Harry persisting in his belief in the Half-Blood Prince over her worries for him_

And that time on the run in 7th year when they had argued all the time. Although logically she was able to reassure herself that it was mostly due to the Horcrux they were carrying there was still substantial tension between them.

Fifth year was really the only year that we had been united. That was when we were truly the Golden Trio, standing strong against the tyranny of the Ministry. Even then that was against our common enemy of Umbridge though. Really, I care for Harry and Ron, and they for me, but our relationship definitely had more dysfunctional parts than I had cared to admit before.

_This however is my second chance and just because Ron had the emotional range of a teaspoon did not mean that I had to have the same this time round. This time I will still speak my mind, but I will be more tactful about it. I will not nag Harry and Ron endlessly about homework, neither will I get annoyed at them and rewrite it completely when they ask for help. No, this time it will be a new leaf for everyone!_

5 points were put into Charisma, bringing it up to a respectable level of 6 and the next button was quickly pressed. Hermione remaining firm in her opinion that better communication was an essential skill!

The Intelligence stat screen did make her happy though. Finally there was an area in which she excelled.

**I is for Intelligence**

**Intelligence is a key area, affecting not only how quickly and easily you learn new information, but also affecting how quickly you can respond to new situations. In short Intelligence is vital in both the long term and the short term. Short term, you will be able to form ideas to solve problems/events significantly faster. In the Long term it will affect your test scores and how many spells you have in your repertoire, not to mention giving you more skill points each level. The skills Intelligence influences are Research, Enchant, Evocation and Knowledge.**

**Your current Intelligence value is: 9**

At least in this mixed up world she still had her mind. That thought was a small comfort which while not easing Hermione's anxiety completely, did provide something to hold on too. By this time she could tell that she had 6 S.P.E.C.I.A.L stat points left to spend. As she was on the letter I she could deduce that there were 2 areas left to view. So she moved on to the next stat.

**A is for Agility**

**Agility is a versatile stat, insofar as it applies to both magical and non magical areas, Affecting quickness, Agility controls both the speed and dexterity with which you move: for example dodging curses or sneaking into the restricted section. As well as that the number of spells that you can cast in a given time is increased or decreased depending on Agility. Therefore it is relevant to Stealth and Athletics.**

**Your current Agility value is: 5**

Having a low Agility was quickly discarded as an idea. Hermione knew that there would be fighting and running for her life in the future. Therefore stealth and rate of casting spells would be essential in a battle. Having lost the first time she was going to take every advantage that she could get.

_This could turn the tide at the battle at the Ministry or when I fought against Dolohov, it could have helped me numerous times when fighting for my life on the run. Most crucially, had I been better at dueling then maybe Harry and Ron would still be alive. Maybe, though is in the past. This is the future, well for me at least, and this time I will succeed. I must…_

Wiping a tear away as she tapped the button, she watched as her Agility went up to 8, leaving her with 3 points left to spend on the last category which turned out to be Luck.

**L is for Luck**

**Rather than affecting any skill Luck is a completely random stat. It might save your life, or it might not do anything. What it will do is provide more positive random encounters at an easier level. It will also give you a random number of extra skill points each level, up to its current number. So if you had a luck value of 7, you could get 1-7 extra skill points per level!**

**Your current Luck value is: 5**

Hermione was fine with that. She had always preferred to use her own power to succeed and not entrust the outcome to fate. 5 was a decent number, and as it was right in the middle, it would in all likelihood not give her bad luck. She could not afford bad luck in light of the past events. Seeing as how she now had 3 points left over she put 1 in Charisma, 1 in Perception and 1 in Strength.

As she pressed the newly appeared finish button a summary appeared.

**So these are your starting stats:**

**Strength: 4**

**Perception: 7**

**Endurance: 6**

**Charisma: 7**

**Intelligence: 9**

**Agility: 8**

**Luck: 5**

**Is this final**

**YES**

NO

After pushing the YES button another rush of colour surrounded her. Thankfully she seemed to have adjusted slightly. Thankful for the lack of nausea this time she looked around for the writing. There was none. Instead a table stood in front of her, 5 cards were placed face down on it and on each of their backs there was identical writing.

**PICK ME**

Laughing at the Alice in Wonderland reference she stepped forwards, before hesitating. In Alice in Wonderland had Alice not suffered some terrible side effects from the bottle labelled Drink Me?

But after waiting a while and examining the cards Hermione had to conclude that she was going to have to pick one to succeed. She was already taking a huge risk by returning in the first place, this was nothing in comparison! Besides, it was for her friends. They had sacrificed themselves so that she could survive long enough to gain this chance, she would not let their sacrifice be in vain. Upon turning over the card she saw that it was the 4 of Hearts. A message flashed up.

**Congratulations you have gained 4 extra skill points to be used in the next stage!**

End of Chapter 1


	2. Character Creation?

Hermione Granger: The Witching Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related properties. They are owned by J.K. Rowling.

My thanks to my wonderful beta 10000 Fists who has done an amazing job as well as letting me borrow inspiration from his story: Fractured Fate

Many thanks also to LillianMarie2 who has allowed me to borrow certain elements from her story: A Sirens Song. Please note that our stories are by no means related in terms of plot and are not affiliated in any way.

**Bold** = the game speaking

Normal = normal

_Italics_ = Hermione's thoughts

Chapter 2

Finally after picking the card, everything changed once more and she stood in front of a list of skills. That Hermione was relieved to be back in the 'video game mode' said a lot about how disorientated she was. Each so-called skill had a + and a - next to it. At the top there was a number23 which was flashing brightly. Tapping upon it confirmed that she had 23 skill points, before a smaller screen popped up, labelled Tutorial. There was no reason for hesitation in Hermione's mind – anything that further explained her bizarre circumstances was a welcome gift, even if it had arrived late. So she selected it.

**TUTORIAL: Skill points are gained each time you level up. They are gained in 3 different ways. **

**You will gain 5 skill points automatically each time you level up**

**You will also gain the same number of skill points as your Intelligence value**

**You will gain a random number of skill points, possible outcomes depending on your luck value**

That explained the Alice in Wonderland style choice Hermione had had to make earlier. But really, she thought, they could have mentioned this while she was panicking over the possibility of the cards being set up to fire curses at her should she pick the wrong one! She knew now, she repeated mentally, she knew now and so she would not turn grey from nerves next time she had to pick a card!

Once again her attention was drawn to the screen as it told her what she had already figured out. She had gained 5 skill points by default, 9 from her intelligence, 7 from her choice of starting bonuses and 4 from the card she had chosen a moment ago. This reached a total of 25. Next thing to do was see what she could spend these skill points on.

**YOUR CURRENT BASE SKILLS ARE:**

**Alteration: 15**

**Athletics: 5**

**Barter: 7**

**Enchant: 14**

**Evocation: 13**

**Healing: 10**

**Knowledge: 17**

**Magical Theory: 18**

**Mind Arts: 4**

**Persuasion: 9**

**Physical Combat: 7**

**Research: 19**

**Stealth: 13**

**YOU HAVE 23 SKILL POINTS**

Being a bit confused, after all Hermione knew she had certainly never been taught any such subjects, except for Magical Theory at Hogwarts. As she thought this a tutorial button popped up, almost as if it knew she needed it.

Understandably this reoccurrence was not reassuring. Quite the opposite in fact as, since the game appeared to be responding to her thoughts, the possibilities were endless.

_This is bad. No this is really bad. I correct myself; this is one of the most terrible things that could happen! If it responds to my thoughts not only will it be like I am wearing the sorting hat all the time, it could respond to any of my thoughts. What if I wish someone would disappear and they actually do? What if I change the timeline because of my thoughts? Not to mention how will I ever be able to act normal if I am seeing flashing dialogue buttons everywhere I go? Hopefully this whole tutorial thing will let up for a moment and I can pause for breath... Wait, why has that come up, it is reading my mind isn't it..._

**TUTORIAL: Throughout the game there are certain key words that correspond to different in-game functions. You have found the pause button. Now whenever you need to make a decision in a hurry, simply think the word "pause" while thinking of this screen and the world will freeze around you. Please note that you may not affect any of your surroundings in any way while "pause" is activated, nor will you be able to regenerate magic or regain health. You are allowed to use items, though they will not take effect until "pause" is deactivated.**

Okay, that was better than Hermione expected. Without knowing her Luck value of 5, she had been certain that she would have found herself in some heinous predicament. Such as the menu coming up every time she thought pause. Tensing as she waited for the screen to appear, a sign of relief slipped out when she realised that it had not returned. Thinking pause a second time while thinking of the related screen gave the desired result. After a few repetitions to make sure that she had thoroughly understood this new development, she pushed the next tutorial button.

**TUTORIAL: These are the base values of your skills. They will be increased by the value of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats that influence them. **

**FOR EXAMPLE: Your current baser value for Alteration is 15. Alteration is linked to Perception and Endurance. Your Perception value is 7 and your Endurance value is 6. **

**To find your final Alteration level you average the values, giving you 6.5. Then multiply that number by 2. So the S.P.E.C.I.A.L stat modifier for Alteration is 13. The modifier is then added to the base value. Should there only be 1 pertinent value then it is doubled instead.**

**This will be 15 + 13 for a final Alteration value of 28!**

The game slid over to the next screen without prompting, making her jump slightly. Once more it was a screen where she could alter her stats, or rather in this case, skills. She was actually quite curious; if only Harry and Ron were here they would be thrilled...

_But Harry and Ron are not here. They are gone and their bodies taken as a trophy, a symbol of the Dark's triumph. No, snap out of it Hermione! Harry and Ron were dead. Professor Dumbledore was dead. Was, that is the key word. They are not dead yet, and if I can have a second chance then I am going to use it to stop them from death. This time I will not fail them! What is the screen saying this time?_

It now read...

**YOUR CURRENT SKILL LEVELS ARE**

**Alteration: 28 + -**

**Athletics: 17 + -**

**Barter: 21 + -**

**Enchant: 29 + -**

**Evocation: 29 + -**

**Healing: 23 + -**

**Knowledge: 35 + -**

**Magical Theory: 32 + -**

**Mind Arts: 18 + -**

**Persuasion: 21 + -**

**Physical Combat: 15 + -**

**Research: 37 + -**

**Stealth: 29 + -**

She understood what some of the skills did, or at least she thought so. Barter, Athletics, Physical Combat and Stealth seemed simple enough ideas. Mind arts were probably Occulmency and Legilimency she mused. This would mean that they would be essential in keeping her time travelling a secret. Although her instinct told her to put all 25 points into Mind Arts, it was her 3rd lowest skill after all, this time the logical part of her brain overruled her. A touch depressed, she realised that she should really at least look at the functions of the other skills.

This time, rather than having to scroll through multiple pages, she found that she simply had to point her finger at the name of the Skill, following which the description appeared at the bottom of the page.

**Alteration**

**Alteration is your level of skill with spells that create an effect by changing the subject matter of the spell. Examples of such a genre would be all Transfiguration spells as well as a small amount of charms and jinxes. The Jelly-Legs-Jinx for instance alters the muscles in the legs, making the victim unable to stand. It is affected by Perception and Endurance.**

Okay, that seems to be rather important, but I should probably reserve judgement. My score of 28 does not seem to be bad. Also, I would rather work on my weaknesses instead of enhancing my strengths.

This was a perfectly logical conclusion in her mind. After all when preparing for an exam one did not just study your strongest areas. Instead you would focus on bringing up your weaknesses – because you would be tested on everything. Why would you have learnt it otherwise?

**Athletics**

**Athletics is very important in all sports. Swimming, flying, climbing and running – your effectiveness at all of these is decided by your Athletics Skill. It is essential if you wish to play Quidditch and being able to fly and swim will unlock hidden areas of Hogwarts, which cannot be reached by any other way! It will also affect the amount of stamina you have and the speed at which it regenerates. Linked to Strength and Agility, Athletics is a good all-rounder stat which is recommended for players who wish to explore.**

Again Hermione could see why a high Athletics score would be beneficial. The ideas of hidden areas did not have much appeal, for to get to them she would probably have to break the rules. However the information contained in those hidden areas held a much stronger appeal – could it have clues as to her parentage? She would have to keep this in mind.

**Barter**

**Barter is one of the most essential yet simple stats of the game. It affects the amount of money you can sell items for, and the prices you will pay when shopping. There will be different prices based on the location and type of store you are selling the item at. For example a potions store would pay a lot for shredded boomslang skin, but very little for a set of dress robes. The player must also exercise caution when buying or selling restricted artefacts. Your Barter Skill will not get you out of jail! The Barter Skill is influenced solely by Charisma.**

That was probably not very important, Hermione thought to herself. She could see the first 2 Skills as being far more useful.

_Barter does not really affect me anyway. As my parents will buy the items on my Hogwarts list for me, I do not have to worry about that. The only other thing I can imagine buying are books, they should not be too expensive, and if necessary I have the 40 Galleons starting bonus. So Barter is off the list of potential Skills to level up._

**Enchant**

**Enchant is the category of spells which use pure magic projected. This is done by a magical manifestation leaving the players wand, though this is not always visible. Spells which fall under the Evocation category include the Protego and Patronus Charms. The Levitation charm falls under this category, as do all hexes, charms and spells which require sustained wand contact. The players Enchant Skill is altered by their Intelligence and their Endurance.**

That category was slightly harder to comprehend the meaning of, but Hermione felt that she handled it rather well. Having a high Intelligence score was really clever of her. A chuckle escaped her mouth at the unintentional pun.

_Before I had not laughed in months and now twice in one day! Or in a very short length of time as I do not have access to a clock!_

**TUTORIAL: You have found the "clock" icon! From now on you can access the clock to discover...**

**Total time played in the game**

**Current time in the game**

**This means that you can tell the time anywhere, even if there are no clocks. The day's date and time will now be displayed in the top right-hand corner of the screen.**

A groan escaped Hermione's mouth as she looked up at the clock icon. The time was frozen, as was the date, an all too familiar date. This was July the 13th – the day that Professor McGonagall would arrive with her Hogwarts letter to inform her of her acceptance there. It could be worse, she rationalised, if I had had Professor Snape then that would be a disaster!

_Also, if time is frozen until I finish this part, then I will not have to rush. Instead I could take my time and work out what would be the best thing to do. Let's see, up next is..._

**Evocation**

**Evocation is different from Enchant in 1 crucial way. This is intent. A spell categorized under Evocation will have to have a certain amount of will behind it for the spell to be effective. Examples of this would be the Cruciatus Curse, which you have to really mean, and Apparition which requires extreme concentration. It is also distinct from Alteration however, as the spells effect the chosen object without changing its material structure. For example the Sectumsempra curse damages a rival by severely cutting them while not changing the human body into a different substance. Most Defence against the Dark Arts and duelling spells are included under Evocation. It is linked to Perception and Intelligence.**

_Well Apparition is important, but I will not be able to until 7__th__ year at any rate so that is a point against raising it now. Yet if it is important for duelling then it would be a vital skill to possess..._

Eventually Hermione decided not to make a decision and instead look at the next option. Now that she had all the time in the world – literally – she could afford to be cautious.

**Healing**

**Healing is divided into 2 halves, much like Agility. Corresponding to both Intelligence and Strength, Healing controls your medical knowledge, as well as your ability to regain health points. With a high healing score, when damage is taken, even wounds will start to heal by themselves.**

So Healing would indeed be useful, especially in battle. As she would not be facing anyone dangerous until the end of the year, Hermione concluded that she could always wait a while to raise it. After all she did get more Skill points with each level up! Now that she thought about it, maybe she could raise the skills she would need in the short-term now and the long-term skills later.

**Knowledge**

**Knowledge, to put it simply is book-smarts. Governed by Intelligence it affects your memory and how much information you can gain from books. It will also determine how quickly you may recall important facts such as the weakness of Devil's Snare. Your Knowledge Skill will affect your grades in History of Magic, Potions, Astronomy and Herbology.**

_Well that would explain why it is my second highest Skill. The Devil's Snare reference though did annoy me a bit. I had remembered in time, I had managed to rescue Ron with the Lumos spell and told Harry to relax. Then again that had been based on luck, hadn't it? If everything was to go well this time round then Knowledge would have to be one of my main priorities._

So with Knowledge moved up to near the top of the essentials list, Hermione turned to the next entry.

**Magical Theory**

**Magical Theory is your control over your magic. By better understanding the concept of magic the player will be able to use less of their magical reserves to produce a more powerful spell. Affected by Perception, Magical Theory is also vital in those subjects which seek to understand magic. These consist of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Many of Hogwarts secrets can be found with relative ease, but they will be useless if you cannot decipher their meaning. **

That is another important section then, Hermione muttered. She had thought that 25 Skill points would be ample for her immediate needs but... there were so many important Skills. Well, she thought, _I suppose that it would not be much of a game if the way to solve it was easily accessible. It would have made things easier for me though. That's a pity._

Still even without an easy mode she was returning with her memories intact. That would give her a significantly greater advantage than she would have had otherwise. Next up was

**Mind Arts**

**The Mind Arts are considered important because of the need to protect your mind. Insight into another's thoughts can win or lose you the duel. This Skill covers both Occulmency and Legilimency. Both are of equal use, although Occulmency is primarily a defensive measure opposite to the offensive nature of Legilimency. The Mind Arts are affiliated with Perception.**

A satisfied smile made its way onto Hermione's face. Now she had a way to protect her mind. Never having learnt either Occulmency or Legilimency before not only did she need these skills to prevent knowledge of the future falling into the wrong hands, but also she would get to learn something new.

_Although I am apprehensive about how exactly I would learn. Harry always described his lessons with Snape as agonisingly painful, which I would not want to experience. But the main problem is that in order to learn Occulmency I would have to let someone see into my thoughts, which I am sure would be full of information about the future!_

**Persuasion**

**Persuasion is similar to nature to the players Barter Skill. Where it differs is that Barter only applies to buying and selling items, Persuasion applies to people. Under Barter it was mentioned that attempting to trade some goods would land you in jail... Well as long as you have enough Persuasion you will be able to make connections with the dealers in Knockturn Alley as well as talk your way out of sticky situations at Hogwarts. Like Barter, its main stat is Charisma.**

Hermione did not really think that she needed Persuasion in a great quantity either. What would be the use when she knew how they would get in trouble and would be able to prevent it that way? No, Persuasion was definitely out for her. Although it would be lovely to see Malfoy's face if she could persuade McGonagall that the Norbert fiasco was his idea! That would be hilarious on the same level as the Incident of the Bouncing Ferret.

She really should get on with the choices, even though there was no time passing, and the fact that she was not sleepy did not affect what was beginning to be mental exhaustion. She had had a long and traumatic day and a long rest, preferably with a hot, long bath was required for full relaxation.

**Physical Combat**

**Physical Combat covers wandless fighting. Based on the stat of Strength, it is required for situations when a wand is unavailable or unusable. For example it could have been broken by a Whomping Willow or it could be the summer holidays when you are underage. If used correctly it can be a very effective technique in duelling. Few wizards expect a karate chop or a high kick in the middle of a wand duel. This is not allowed in formal duels, but when you are fighting for your life that point becomes an unnecessary hindrance.**

_Somehow I think that this game is making fun of me. Perhaps the Devil's Snare was partially my fault, but I had absolutely nothing to do with Harry and Ron driving the car to Hogwarts. I don't know what they were thinking but I was most certainly not involved in any part. Note to self: stop idiotic 12 year old friends from attempting to drive a flying car. Perhaps suggest that if they have any problems to owl first? Or maybe I will just try to drill some common sense into their heads in the first year._

Hermione was avoiding all thought about a certain NEWT level potion brewed in the girl's lavatory and the resulting transformation. That would definitely not happen this time! Perhaps she was being slightly hypocritical but that was the beauty of time travel... No one would know that was. She shook her head to clear the decidedly Slytherin thoughts away.

**Research**

**Research is a measure of how fast you are able to learn and master spells. Upon learning a spell you will be given a score out of 100. This value determines your mastery of the spell. Every time that you study the spell, your Research level will be divided by three then added on to the total increase in your mastery of that spell. For example with the players current Research Skill of 37 there would be an extra 12 points added to the base increase of 5. So your mastery of the spell would increase by 17. The grades are as follows...**

**If your mastery is less than 7 your spell is classed as pathetic: Grade = T**

**If your mastery is less than 7 your spell is classed as pathetic: Grade = D**

**If your mastery is less than 34 your spell is classed as adequate: Grade = P**

**If your mastery is less than 51 your spell is classed as average: Grade = A**

**If your mastery is less than 68 your spell is classed as effective: Grade = E**

**If your mastery is less than 85 your spell Is classed as strong: Grade = O**

**Finally if your mastery is over 85 then your spell is classed as powerful: Grade = O**

**Some spells are harder to learn than others. Research is affected by your Intelligence.**

Hermione blinked, struggling to process the torrent of information. Eventually she summarized it to herself that they had a score out of 100 for each spell and the higher her score was, the better her grade would be.

_Still that was a lot to take in. But it would make practicing spells easier as I would be able to tell what grade I would get. Though anything less than an Outstanding would be a disappointment in my opinion._

**Stealth**

**Stealth is the final Skill and is of great importance to the daring player. If you need to ambush someone, escape Filch or even trail a suspect then a high Stealth score could be of more value than an invisibility cloak. This is because Stealth is also the art of blending in with ones surroundings, which might be a Diagon Alley or a forest hideout.**

_The game was doing it again! Honestly we had been children at the time we did these things. Alright, we were teenagers, but we were understandably paranoid after numerous near death experiences that seemed to seek us out each and every year! Wait a minute, what kind or childhood did we actually have if we came to think of potentially fatal scenarios as bonding activities? Well that was really unfair on Harry actually. It was not his fault that his parents were murdered and died so that he could defeat a Dark Lord, who would then make him his number one target. Great, now I feel guilty about that. I know that Harry suffered a lot, all because Dumbledore thought it would help him to be sheltered from everything that might have helped him survive. Why could he have not trained Harry from the start? Or at least after it was shown once with Quirrel, and then twice with the Chamber that Hogwarts was simply not safe from a murderous undead DARK LORD!_

_Because of Dumbledore's belief in the goodness of others, the Battle of Hogwarts had been lost. He would never interfere unless it did something to his happy little bubble of denial where lemon drops danced and everything was happy. He fought Grindewald did he not, who was his childhood friend. So why could he not fight Voldemort? Why not at least try? He did not know about the horcruxes until the second year, he told Harry himself, so why did he not try and stop the Dark Lord? _

_I promise... I promise that this time I will stand up for everyone. _

Coming to from her reminiscing Hermione made her decisions about her Skills.

I will put 19 into Mind Arts so that I can learn Occulmency more easily and then the remaining 6 will go into where? The Intelligence based skills are already rather high and I do not think that there is any real need for Barter or Persuasion. Therefore I should improve either my Healing or my Athletics. Athletics I can use at once in order to access more places and will help in my first flying lesson. Healing will only really be relevant at the end of the year when we will go to the 3rd Floor Corridor. Therefore the remaining 6 points will go to athletics. Maybe then I might uncover some secrets... and get some answers.

**YOU HAVE ALLOCATED YOUR POINTS: IS THIS YOUR FINAL CHOICE?**

YES

NO

With no hesitation Hermione tapped YES. Then she was whirled towards one final screen, this one labelled Perks.

**Tutorial: Perks are an essential part of the game as they are the main way that you will shape your destiny after finishing character creation. Perks come in great varieties and each one will be suited for several different playing styles. As you are level 1 you have 2 perk points to spend or save.**

**YOUR 1 PERK POINT CHOICES ARE...**

**A Fistful of Galleons**

**+ Your level (1) x 100 = you gain 100 Galleons**

**10 Ranks**

**A Sense of Style**

**20% off at Madam Malkins Robes for All Occasions – for life**

**Careful Calligraphy**

**You will have flawless handwriting**

**I Can Fly!**

**You gain a Cleansweep 5**

**+5 to Athletics**

**YOUR 2 PERK POINT CHOICES ARE...**

**Way Too Mainstream**

**Your familiar can be any animal**

**Eidetic Memory Stage 1 of 4**

**Your memory is improved**

**Potential Polyglot**

**Learn a language of your choosing in 1 year**

**2 Ranks**

**Intensive Training**

**+1 to any S.P.E.C.I.A.L stat**

**5 Ranks**

"Okay," Hermione said to herself. "I do not need money at the moment so A Fistful of Galleons is out. I've never been interested in fashion either so that rules out A Sense of Style. Potential Polyglot would be useful for Ancient Runes, but that class does not start until third year so it can wait. An extra S.P.E.C.I.A.L stat might be useful but not now. My memory is already good so I do not need an Eidetic one at this time, especially when I already know the syllabus.

The only Familiar I will have is Crookshanks so Way too Mainstream is not an option. That leaves Careful Calligraphy and I Can Fly, both of which could be useful. My handwriting does need some improvement but it is not a big enough issue to spend a perk on. I Can Fly would improve my Athletics and get me a broom to explore Hogwarts with... but as a first year I cannot own a broom.

So I will go with Potential Polyglot and learn the Elder Futhark Runic Language.

**YOU HAVE CHOSEN POTENTIAL POLYGLOT: ELDER FUTHARK. IS THIS FINAL?**

YES

NO

Yes was picked and Hermione saw the room around her disappearing in a swirl much like that of side-along apparition. Pain lanced through her as her body seemed to be compressed and twisted every possible way.

Then there was nothing

Rubbing her aching joints which felt like they had been rubbed raw she stood up, slowly and hesitantly. A young girl she recognised stared back at her from the mirror across the room. Hermione Granger, 11 once more opened her mouth and screamed!


	3. Just Bad Luck

Hermione Granger: The Witching Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related properties. They are owned by J.K. Rowling.

My thanks to my wonderful beta 10000 Fists who has done an amazing job as well as letting me borrow inspiration from his story: Fractured Fate

Many thanks also to LillianMarie2 who has allowed me to borrow certain elements from her story: A Sirens Song. Please note that our stories are by no means related in terms of plot and are not affiliated in any way.

**Bold** = the game speaking

Normal = normal

_Italics_ = Hermione's thoughts

**Hermione's Stats**

**S.P.E.C.I.A.L Stats**

**Strength: 4**

**Perception: 7**

**Endurance: 6**

**Charisma: 7**

**Intelligence: 9**

**Agility: 8**

**Luck: 5**

**Skills**

**Alteration: 28 + -**

**Athletics: 23 + -**

**Barter: 21 + -**

**Enchant: 29 + -**

**Evocation: 29 + -**

**Healing: 23 + -**

**Knowledge: 35 + -**

**Magical Theory: 32 + -**

**Mind Arts: 37 + -**

**Persuasion: 21 + -**

**Physical Combat: 15 + -**

**Research: 37 + -**

**Stealth: 29 + -**

**Perks**

**Potential Polyglot: Elder Futhark**

It was her... An 11 year old Hermione Granger was reflected back at her. Her arm reached out to touch the mirror in wonderment. She had hoped, oh how she had hoped that this chance was genuine, yet now she knew for a fact that she was at the beginning again. Now she believed. Well I suppose that to see is to believe, Hermione thought to herself. And as she looked down at an unscarred arm, without a trace of the torture inflicted by Bellatrix Lestrange, everything came rushing back.

Before her hope had kept away the bad thoughts, the adrenaline rush had cancelled out lasting trauma. But now, she was safe, she was home and despite the fact that she now knew she was adopted, she yearned to be comforted by her parents, to cry away the hurt. Tears came to her eyes out of sadness and of happiness. Seeing all of her friends die had taken its toll on her, and while she no longer felt the physical effects of the battle, her memories were perfectly intact.

A cry split the air, Hermione laughing hysterically as she tried to process everything.

_I'm home, I really am home! Harry, Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny I promise I will not fail. I have a new chance, a new life, and never again will I see your bodies lying broken on the ground. Never again will I let you sacrifice yourselves for the greater good. Never, never again will we play by their rules instead of ours. No more manipulation by others... Harry and Ron, stay strong, especially Harry, you will be free from the Dursley's soon._

By this time she had calmed down somewhat from the hysterics. Just as she was making notes to find out about blood wards and if there would be any other option – Harry would not return to the Dursley's if she had any say in it, her thoughts were interrupted by her parents.

Daniel and Emma Granger burst in, apparently very concerned about the shrieking coming from their daughters room.

"Are you okay?"

"What's wrong darling?"

Hermione, overcome with raw emotion once more, could only cling to her mother's nightdress and sob.

"They're not dead Mum... they're not dead! I'm not dead, Daddy I'm alive!"

Her parents exchanged a glance over her head. Emma Granger mouthed the word nightmare at her husband questioningly, who replied with a shrug. Neither of them knew what had caused this outbreak of tears but they reacted much like any ordinary parent would. As it was nearly morning the Granger family decided to get up a bit earlier than usual, there was not much point in trying to get back to sleep at 6.30.

After a few minutes avoiding the topic of the 'nightmare' at the breakfast table the conversation turned to different matters. Much to Hermione's surprise the atmosphere was much more relaxed and casual than she remembered.

_Hmm, it might be because my memories were those of a child's at the time. After all practically no children get along all the time with their parents. Since I am mentally 18 I could be simply viewing things differently or... maybe it is the higher charisma! Thinking logically about it, my charisma was so low before, the lowest you can have. Therefore if I increased it to 6 then technically speaking, I am 6 times more charismatic and sociable than before. This would affect my parents and me positively with regards to our relationship._

Further analysis, she decided could wait until after she had talked to more people and had a clearer viewpoint on how this game worked. After she had finished her breakfast and had put her dirty plate and glass in the dishwasher a message from the game popped up. This was surprising because beforehand the tutorial links had always been triggered by a key word or a new section of the game, neither of which seemed to apply here. Still Hermione knew she should read it, knowledge was power, right?

**TUTORIAL: Relationships Bar**

**The relationships bar is where you can keep track of the people you meet. Not only does it display your current relationship level with them, it can also store data, once it is given to you! You can keep track of Birthdays, favourite foods, pets and so on. Once you gain the relevant skills you may also be able to determine their level and stats. At the moment you are a loner. Your only social links are to your parents. Hopefully when you get to the Wizarding World you will be able to make new friendships and rekindle old ones. But try not to make too many enemies! Your status screen is now unlocked.**

Hermione looked at the relationship screen only to see that the game was right. Her only, well she would not call them friends exactly... links were with her parents. Dan and Emma Grangers names appeared with a score of 600 out of 1000. This, according to the game, put them as friendly allies. This was very annoying for Hermione.

_That's not fair, just because I focused on my education doesn't mean that I have no friends at all. Maybe school was a bit awkward but I was a model daughter! So why do I only have a relationship score of 600?_

Maybe it was so that there was room to progress? Still, it stung a bit not to have a full relationship bar for her parents. Glancing at the screen she noticed that a button at the bottom allowed her to return to the status screen, whatever that was. As usual curiosity was a strong force and after tapping the button she found that she was looking at herself. Except rather being a mirror image, like when she woke up, this picture showed her in her current clothes, jeans and a t-shirt and was almost like a report on her.

The first few tabs were self explanatory; labelled Stats, Skills and Perks they pretty much summarized her choices in the character creation screen. Deciding to skip the relationships tab, after all she had just viewed it; she also bypassed the experience bar which was proudly stating that she was level 1. The object of her focus was the inventory tab.

**TUTORIAL**

**This is the Inventory/Equip screen. Here you are able to select the items your character will have on them at a certain time. These can range from weapons to clothes to pets and will give you various boosts, or hindrances.**

_Okay, so this is like a wardrobe, just a bit extended. That makes sense in a way, though I am unsure exactly how much I can carry. In video games it always seems like one person could carry an entire armies weapons, or several hundred bottles of healing potions. I wonder if it will be like that for me... Well only one way to find out I suppose. I'll click the complete inventory button._

Hermione was, however, shocked to find just how little was in her inventory. Her eyes could scarcely believe what she was seeing as she scanned up and down the extremely short list. It read that...

**Hermione Granger: Inventory, Complete Summary**

**Jeans x 3**

**T-Shirts x 3**

**Trainers x 1**

**Muggle Books x 178**

**Muggle Pounds x 200**

**Galleons x 40**

**Plain Bag x 1**

That was it? None of her other possessions counted as real? Since when did she only have 3 outfits? She had not been the most fashion conscious child, that was certain, but surely she had had a skirt, or a dress, or some other shoes than the old and worn trainers which she would probably have to disinfect before wearing! At least the game had kept her books in her inventory. Though this did raise the question about how the game was doing it. 178 books was a rather large number to carry, and in terms of weight was something no one person should be capable of doing. So just how was the game managing to store the books without her collapsing from the weight... Maybe it was some parallel dimension...

_That is it, stop worrying over the physics of the game, even if it is breaking every single law that I can think of. It is not an issue right now. So does this mean that I can change clothes instantly? Teleportation is also not possible by modern science either..._

_Stupid, how could I have been so foolish? Magic! If the game is based on magic then naturally the laws of physics would not apply. After all Transfiguration and Apparition are prime examples of things that Muggle science could never do. And as for the space issue, well I'm one to talk. I carried a library in my purse for the best part of a year so I should have remembered that there are very few limitations when it comes to magic!_

That conundrum solved, Hermione turned her mind to looking at the bonuses her t-shirt and jeans gave her. This happened to be nothing of any use at all. True her jeans and t-shirt each gave her an extra one point in Stealth in the Muggle World, but they gave her -2 Stealth in the Wizarding World. Although this did make sense given the way most wizards seemed to be stuck in the olden days when it came to clothing styles. The robes most men wore looked very similar to the gowns that the early Tudors wore. Witches robes also seemed to draw inspiration from the fashions of 500 years ago.

She could also not help but notice that she had Muggleborn under the Blood Status category, but it had Pureblood in brackets after it. Upon pressing the question mark next to it she was informed by a voice that she would have to find proof of parentage before she would be recognised as a Pureblood. A groan escaped from her mouth... that would take forever!

At that moment the clock chose to beep loudly as a tutorial message once again flashed up.

**TUTORIAL: You have discovered the clocks second function; Alarm Clock**

The purpose of the alarm clock is to alert you to important events that you know are about to happen or are happening. For example in this case Professor McGonagall is walking up your front drive to present you with your Hogwarts letter.

She bit back several choice swearwords about Merlin's ancestry that a Muggleborn should not be aware of, much less an 11 year old one. Hermione then promptly dashed down the stairs completely forgetting in her haste the rule that her parents had made. As Hermione opened the door and looked up at the stern face of Professor McGonagall she felt at the top of the world. She could hear her parent's footsteps behind her and their voices calling out to her.

"Hermione, please do not open the door to people you do not know," Emma Granger called out as she hurried to the door behind her daughter, Daniel Granger following close behind.

Then, much to Hermione's shock as her mother lightly scolded her about keeping safe, a small pop up appeared saying that there was a change in relationship status with her parents. Looking closer, Hermione could see that her relationship with her parents had decreased from 600/1000 to 597/1000. It was then that she fully grasped the fact of making enemies in this game – and just how easy it could be...

**Charisma Check 6/3: PASSED +20 XP**

After that message had appeared, she found herself giving a graceful apology to her parents which raised her relationship with them by 3 points, putting them back at their original level. She them turned once more to see the all too familiar Professor, holding an all too familiar letter.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat before asking to come in. Once in she explained in the calm and reasoned manner Hermione remembered. The initial disbelief that her parents had expressed that, firstly magic existed and that, secondly their daughter could use it was quickly squashed.

After the table had been turned into a pig and back, and after repeated assurances that Hermione's parents were not hallucinating, Professor McGonagall turned to Hermione.

"You seem to be taking this rather well, I see." She said.

Hermione did some quick thinking, about how she could explain viewing advanced Transfiguration as commonplace. She then remembered the pause button and as she thought the word the world froze around her. Even the extra time was little help though when one was completely stuck.

_Maybe I could say that I had seen it before. Harry did mention that certain wizards greeted him before he knew about Hogwarts... Maybe I could say that I saw someone doing it? No, that would never work, I would have to blame someone and it could be too easily exposed. Maybe I could say it was accidental magic, but that would not be strong enough to do anything on Professor McGonagall's scale. Still, accidental magic was probably her best bet, although goodness knows what it would do to her relationships with her parents!_

As she exited the pause screen she was shocked to see another stat check come up.

**Multiple Stat Checks...**

**Intelligence 9/8**

**Endurance 6/6**

**Checks: PASSED +280 XP**

**You have reached 300 XP, 200 XP until next level!**

As much as this was good news she was still unnerved by the idea of these decisions being out of her control. But then it happened again!

**Persuasion 21/43: FAILED**

Shocked by the idea that she had failed, nothing compared to the horror of what happened next. No matter how she tried to stop her voice, it still rang loud and clear.

"I have always been able to do strange things. Things no-one else can do. I can make things move and I can make things change, and I can even make things explode when I want to."

Hermione's body then proceeded to demonstrate her command of magic by levitating her Hogwarts letter and sending it round the room as it changed colours.

What should have filled her with pride, at such a feat of wandless magic, came nowhere close to such an exuberant emotion. The betrayed look on her parents face and the horrified look on McGonagall's made her feel terrible. She could understand her parent's emotions at their daughter apparently keeping a major secret from them, but why would Professor McGonagall...

Oh No! What had she done? Maybe Persuasion and Charisma were important after all! She had just mimicked Tom Riddle at the orphanage when he received his letter. And if McGonagall knew then she would surely inform Professor Dumbledore who would think that she was some sort of dark lord in the making! Stupid, stupid low persuasion score. She managed to hold back the tears until she accessed her relationships bar.

_Mum... and Dad... no, no. It was one mistake. Just one mistake you despicable game. My relationship with my adoptive parents was now 500/1000. Instead of Friendly Allies their status simply said 'Neutral'. Even worse, Professor McGonagall was at 450/1000 – her status was currently at 'Distrustful'. My favourite Professor, one that I had always looked up to and trusted implicitly now did not trust me! I had changed the timeline already for the worse..._

Exhausted after the magic display, Hermione mentally pleaded with the game to allow her a chance to fix this situation. Eventually, thankfully another check popped up.

Charisma Check 6/6: PASSED +30 XP

Once again she found herself apologising to her parents. Her emotions flooded out of her as she clung to her mother's jumper and once again sobbed profusely. A sense of joy filled her when her father patted her on the back, and spoke to Professor McGonagall.

"She's just a bit shocked, that's all. Just let her have some time to calm down."

The rest of the discussion went smoother than before, although still not as well as Hermione had hoped. Then Hermione excused herself to wash her face before they would leave for Diagon Alley. She felt calmer already just looking at the thick parchment with her name on it. Of course it also helped that her apology had raised their relationship with her by 50 each. This meant that her parents were once again Friendly Allies and that Professor McGonagall was now Neutral.

After grabbing her bag and putting her money into it she was ready to go. She had been annoyed to find out that apparently her Galleons would only be accessible once she reached Gringotts. Still, it did make sense. It would raise a lot of questions if a Muggleborn was suddenly found with a large sum of Galleons on her first day in the Wizarding World!

The trip through the Leaky Cauldron was as fantastic as it had been before, and her spirits rose dramatically when she saw an intact Diagon Alley, with everyone bustling about their business without a care in the world... That was a somewhat sobering thought, Hermione thinking about the atmosphere of fear and pain that had smothered the alley last time she had visited. That was the time they had broken into Gringotts and through sheer luck escaped alive!

_That was the time when we were happy to sacrifice ourselves for the Greater Good. Harry, Ron and I all thought that we would win, because there was no other option. How foolish I was, how unrealistic I had been. And how much pain have I suffered because of this? The aim this time is to prevent a war in advance. No child should have their life ruined by having Death Eaters as teachers and Snape as the Headmaster. That is why I will fight this time. Not for the Greater Good or for unrealistic ideals. _

_This time I will fight so that we can live, so that we can laugh and smile without the threat of death or worse hanging over our shoulders. We never had a normal childhood from 11 onwards. It is not that I resent helping Harry and Ron, quite the opposite; I would die for them and have never even regretted being friends with them. Well not in the long term anyway. But I digress, this time I will fight for me and my friends and for all the forgotten creatures of the world, for equality. Wait a moment, are we there already?_

By that time they had reached the first stop: Gringotts, where Hermione was able to collect her 40 Galleons and convert half of her Muggle money into Galleons. So overall she now had 60 Galleons and £100, which with her parents buying her school equipment should be enough for anything extra she might need. Although she would need to get a lot of Galleons to prevent Malfoy getting his hands on the other Vanishing Cabinet.

As it was an incredibly rare artefact its worth, even without its pair would easily be over 10,000 Galleons and most certainly beyond her currently meagre finances. As she turned to leave Gringotts she suddenly realised that her parents were no longer behind her. She recalled that McGonagall was going to show them how to do it in detail so that they could do it next year by themselves.

Glancing around the area she could see them, but more importantly her eyes fixed on the Goblin next to the till they were queuing at. The booth named Inheritance Rituals. Could this be what she was looking for? Could it really be so simple?

**Stealth Check 27/22: PASSED +20 XP**

Hermione carefully skirted the crowd while making sure that she was not spotted. She slowly but surely made her way to the booth which seemed to promise the answers to her questions. Slightly tired from all the dodging and diving she paused for a moment before looking up at the Goblin and asking...

"Excuse me, what exactly is an inheritance ritual?"

The Goblin looked at her impatiently and replied in a dismissive tone,

"It determines you magical ancestry, you family tree in basic terms. However I doubt that it will have much relevance to you." This time the Goblin scanned her evidently Muggle clothing. By this time Hermione was annoyed, even if she fought for rights of magical creatures such as Goblins such rudeness did make it hard to sympathize at the present time.

"Then could you please tell me how much it will cost please," she replied, although her tongue did choke on the please at the end.

This time the Goblin did not even bother to speak, merely gestured to the sheet below him, indicating that the price was 50 Galleons. Such a sum was prohibitive to Hermione, but her determination to discover the truth about her parentage was stronger than her desire for wealth. The Goblin then took the 50 Galleons and gestured her into a stone room, with carvings all over the walls, runic carvings she noticed. She could tell the meaning of some of them, but it was very complicated and used several different runic arrays.

All the while wondering about child safety in the Wizarding World she took the dagger offered and made a gash across her hand. Blood dripped from the wound onto a large crystal. The Goblins eyes appeared shocked as the crystal began to glow.

"Well, it seems that you do have some magical ancestry, although very minor judging by the Crystals reaction."

The Crystal then shuddered and the glow faded from it, leaving the parchment labelled Family Tree blank. This was evidently not a typical response judging by the Goblins look of fear.

"Why did you come here when your heritage is under the Arcane Nankaina Curse, It is impossible to tell then!" the Goblin hissed at her. "That is old dark magic, just who are you?"

Hermione could not help it anymore and lashed out.

"I have no idea what the Arcane Nankaina Curse is. As much as I hate to say it I have never heard of it before in my life! What does it do? Is it reversible? Who cursed me?"

For the first time the Goblin looked uncomfortable as he explained.

"It is a very old curse, banned long ago. Its main purpose is to thwart goblin heritage tests by a combination of a blood adoption and a lethal curse. The curse is irreversible, although your ancestry can still be discovered. According to the crystal the curse is tied to two people named Daniel and Emma Granger. It would be illegal for Gringotts to try again because the curse would then activate killing them. "

He sighed again, looking at her with something almost resembling pity at Hermione's stricken face.

"Daniel and Emma Granger signed away their lives. The curse blocks the tests by taking all the memories away from the people who will blood adopt the child, everything that is their past identity. Rather than the child being adopted into a family, the parents are instead adopted into the child's family. Everything that they are is erased when they sign the contract with a blood quill. I will return the 50 Galleons, as the ritual was unable to be completed."

As he guided the shocked girl out of the booth his parting words did nothing but worsen the situation.

"But the contract must be signed willingly, and not under duress"


End file.
